Remix Cd's, some people wonder why the original artists feel their work needs such significant change that they need to pay for a $20 import to hear them, while some feel that they're a neat way to be reintroduced to the tracks on it and that they're the only way to really be in touch with the music. whatever reasons they exist, they're there for the listening to, and it would seem natural that such a remixed and remastered band such as Air would have one of these by now. Indeed they do, pulling from the tracks of the 2001 effort,
10,000 Hz Legend, the cleverly titled
Everybody Hertz collection takes four of these songs (wait 4 originals and 10 remixes total something isn't adding up here) and gives them the guest reinvention treatment as administered by Modjo, Adrian Sherwood, and the popular production crew of the Neptunes.
On paper this seems like a not bad idea, completely changing around sons could make them more interesting and give listeners the choice of their favorite version of the song. With that in mind, it leaves to wonder exactly where this formula went wrong. The place where that happened is this, instead of each tune getting their shot at being reinvented, they chose 4 separate songs and did 11 version of them (
Don't Be Light got 4 remixes and an edited version of the original itself) which may work out if those were the only songs you liked from
10,000 Hz Legend, but for the most part you would have wished for [insert song here] to be redone. All complaints aside, this was still made to compliment the main release, and it seems to be the only dent in Air's short but brilliant career.
What seems like the track to review since it was the track to remix,
Don't Be Light stands out with its preexisting quality of being on of the best songs on
10,000 Hz Legend and that popularity still exists by being given 5 remixes on here. The first sighting of this song appears on
Don't Be Light - Edit and I guess "edit" is French for "the same song" because that's exactly what it sounds like, just 2 minutes are hacked off. All joke remarks about edited versions of songs being poor examples of remixes aside, the Mr Ozio crack at this song is made in more blip filled and in what sounds like a midi fest until the recording of the phrase "don't be light" occasionally fills the gaps and the song going out on an Ozio monologue which sounds like William Shatner reciting Shakespeare. Speaking of Shatner's version of Romeo and Juliet, this song was as exciting as that and should be skipped just all the same (since there is no comedic value of a poor remix of a good song). Amid the decent version by The Hacker which sounds fit for a club, and the slow rolling version by Malibu, the standout interpretation of
Don't Be Light belongs to the Neptunes, which introduces the concept of a joining piano to the jumble. Even better is the organ and the whistling (that possibly went on to inspire
Alpha Beta Gaga) that really makes this seem like the artist spent time on adding their flavor and making it very listenable. With the added instruments comes the narrating voice of Pharrel, whose accompanying band puts their stamp on this as the best track on here.
Here's what makes this album seems out of the ordinary, one song is fully in the books and this album is halfway done (
and this isn't a [L]Godspeed You! Black Emperor CD!). What was also up for grabs on here is the slow rolling computer voiced
The Way You Look Tonight. Indeed only Air would leave it to a computer to make a woman feel good at night, but what gets taken away from this is that so did the remixer, Adrian Sherwood. While horns and a more alive percussion section make this a more exciting track, how it is built doesn't seem to want to be made into that and the slow rolling mood reflects that by not being present on this version of it. It is well done yes but it just does not seem to fit. Included with this redone track is the original edited, which could have not been mentioned due to the utter significance of it. Moving on, the last track that really gets experimented with is
People in the City which starts as a real electronic number, cold and monotone; but thanks to the efforts or Modjo and Jack Lahana (who made it into a freaking rap song for crissakes) it comes alive and with flavor. This flavor is spit out the best with Lahana's bit which should be changed to
Bitches in the City seeing as that line is the chorus by numerous females and on top of heavy breaths and claps. Approaching from the opposite side of the spectrum and coming out with a song that sounds like the theme to Desperate Housewives with its classy and swanky piano bits and pieces; Modjo appears to play the gentlemen role and this version is recommended if you prefer light jazz over crunk.
The songs on here deserve to be put on Air's supercool website (http://www.intairnet.org/) rather than served up as some sort of necessary compliment CD, but either way the band decided it would be best for people to own it. While there are some decent cuts on here, I would have felt better if these were being served up for free on Air's website as remixed songs, and not shelled out for decent bucks.
